The present invention relates to a camera capable of soft focus photographing using a camera hand correction unit and applicable to a digital camera, a silver salt film camera or the other various types of cameras.
Varied techniques which give a soft focus effect to a picked-up image while picking up an image with a camera focused on a subject have been proposed and put to practical use. The invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-19613 is one of these techniques. According to this invention, a camera includes, a conversion lens arranged to be movable between an insertion position at which the conversion lens is inserted into a photographing optical system and a retreat position at which the conversion lens is retreated to the outside of the photographing optical system, and a photographing lens the focal distance of which differs between a state in which the conversion lens is inserted into the photographing optical system and a state in which the conversion lens is retreated to the outside of the photographing optical system. If a driving section drives and vibrates the conversion lens while the conversion lens is inserted into the photographing optical system and during photographing and exposure, a soft focus effect is given to a picked-up image.
There are also proposed techniques which give a soft focus effect to a picked-up image by mechanically, slightly vibrating an optical component of a varied type.
Further, techniques which give a soft focus effect while using an image processing technique in a digital camera have been proposed. The invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-243493 is one of these techniques. According to this invention, a digital camera includes, a gain adjustment unit which adjusts the gain of at least one of an intermediate frequency component and a high frequency component of an original image signal, a unit which generates amount-of-focus image signal from an original image signal, and an addition unit which adds the image signal gain-adjusted by the gain adjustment unit and the out-of-focus image signal together. The digital camera generates a soft focus image signal from the digital original image.
The invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-275350 is also one of these techniques which obtain a soft focus effect by applying an image processing technique. According to this invention, by setting a mode in advance while using a technique which suppresses a grain form if a film original is an under negative film or a highly sensitive negative film, an image processing for grain form suppression can be changed to a soft focus processing.
In case of obtaining a soft focus effect by mechanically, slightly vibrating an optical component as described in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-19613, it is necessary to provide a dedicated mechanism which obtains the soft focus effect and, in some cases, to add an optical component. As a result, the configuration of the digital camera is disadvantageously complicated and the cost thereof is disadvantageously pushed up.
Furthermore, in case of obtaining a soft focus effect by applying the image processing technique as described in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-243493 or 11-275350, it is necessary to carry out an image processing operation and take time to carry out this operation. It is not, therefore, possible to easily, freely obtain a soft focus image. Besides, available cameras are normally limited to digital cameras.
The present invention has been achieved in order to solve the above conventional problems. It is an object of this invention to provide a camera capable of obtaining a soft focus image without providing a dedicated mechanism or optical component which obtains a soft focus effect and capable of obtaining the soft focus image without carrying out any complicated image processing.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera capable of soft focus photographing with a blurring correction unit, the blurring correction unit comprising, a displacement sensor attached to the camera and capable of measuring a displacement of the camera, and driving mechanisms capable of independently moving an optical component or a photographic member including a lens in two directions, respectively, the driving mechanisms actuated according to a detection signal of the displacement sensor, the blurring correction unit capable of correcting a disturbance in a picked-up image due to blurring, wherein by forcedly actuating the driving mechanisms of the blurring correction unit by selection of a photographer, soft focus is attained.
A second aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the first aspect, wherein the driving mechanisms allow the optical component or the photographic member to make a circular motion by independently moving the optical component or the photographic member in the two orthogonal directions, respectively, in accordance with driving waves each in a form of one of a sine wave and a cosine wave while a shutter is opened.
A third aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the first aspect, wherein the driving mechanisms independently move the optical component or the photographic member in two orthogonal directions, respectively, according to driving waves each in a form of one of a sine wave and a cosine wave while a shutter is opened, the driving waves in the two directions are alternately changing periodic waves, and the driving mechanisms move the optical component or the photographic member by the periodic waves, respectively.
A fourth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the second or third aspect, wherein while the shutter is opened, each of the driving mechanisms has a combination of an operation state and an inoperative state.
A fifth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the second aspect, wherein each of the driving waves has a frequency of a natural number having at least one cycle.
A sixth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the second aspect, wherein amplitudes of the driving waves are adjustable.
A seventh aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the fourth aspect, wherein operative time and inoperative time of each of the driving mechanisms while the shutter is opened are adjustable.
An eighth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein amplitude levels of the driving waves or operation time levels and inoperative time levels of the driving mechanisms are set in interlock with operation of an operation member provided at the camera, to thereby allow the photographer to select a soft focus level.
A ninth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein amplitude levels of the driving waves or operation time levels and inoperative time levels of the driving mechanisms are set in interlock with a change in a focal length of a photographic lens.
A tenth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein amplitude levels of the driving waves or operation time levels and inoperative time levels of the driving mechanisms are set in interlock with a change in a photographic distance.
An eleventh aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein amplitude levels of the driving waves or operation time levels and inoperative time levels of the driving mechanisms are set in interlock with a change in aperture of a diaphragm of a photographic lens.
A twelfth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein amplitude levels of the driving waves or operation time levels and inoperative time levels of the driving mechanisms are set in interlock with an automatic exposure control state.
A thirteen aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the first aspect, wherein blurring prevention photographing conducted by operation of the blurring correction unit and soft focus photographing conducted by forcedly actuating the blurring correction unit can be combined.
A fourteenth aspect of the present invention provides the camera capable of soft focus photographing according to the first aspect, comprising, a selection unit capable of selecting one of normal photographing with the blurring correction unit set in an inoperative state, blurring correction photographing with the blurring correction unit set in an operative state, soft focus photographing by forcedly operating the driving mechanisms of the blurring correction unit and blurring correction-added soft focus photographing.
Other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.